Inverness, Culloden, Clava Cairns & Loch Ness
Our first full day of our Scottish sojourn started with the short coach ride from the ship, through the city of Inverness and out to the Battlefield of Culloden. It was on this bleak field on the 16th April 1746 that the supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, known as the Jacobites, made a last stand against the far greater numbers of the British government troops under the command of the Duke of Cumberland fighting for the side of the British Crown. The battle, if it can be called that, lasted less than an hour and resulted in the total defeat of the Jacobites and the subsequent collapse of the ancient clan system of Highland society. The newly opened interpretation centre next to the battlefield gave us a very impressive account of the events leading to the build up to the battle and then, by using modern video technology, we experienced what it must have been like to be involved in the bloody chaos of that wet, windy and sleet-swept morning that changed the course of Scottish history.
From there we travelled a short distance in terms of miles but a giant leap back in time to the Neolithic burial chambers of Clava Cairns. These three 4,000 year-old stone mounds sit silently and enigmatically as testament to a people long gone but a people of obvious technical skill and ability. The sun shone softly through the overhanging beech trees as we walked carefully among the huge stone circular burial chambers and tried to imagine what the religious beliefs of their builders were and what inspired the construction of such massive monuments still to be found spread across Europe.
Then another short coach ride brought us back to the present and back to the ship where, during lunch, we set sail along the Caledonian Canal towards Loch Ness. Our cruise proper began. The crossing of the elongated Loch Ness was noisy and bumpy thanks to the strong westerly winds into which we were sailing directly. However we arrived safely at our mooring for the night, Fort Augustus, late in the afternoon but with enough time to disembark, enjoy the Caledonian Canal Museum and have a look round this quaint Highland town.
Tomorrow we will have time to explore the area further and discover more of the Highland flora and fauna, learn more of the history and hopefully stay dry in the process! There is a lot yet to come on our journey through the Heart of the Highlands.
Our first full day of our Scottish sojourn started with the short coach ride from the ship, through the city of Inverness and out to the Battlefield of Culloden. It was on this bleak field on the 16th April 1746 that the supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, known as the Jacobites, made a last stand against the far greater numbers of the British government troops under the command of the Duke of Cumberland fighting for the side of the British Crown. The battle, if it can be called that, lasted less than an hour and resulted in the total defeat of the Jacobites and the subsequent collapse of the ancient clan system of Highland society. The newly opened interpretation centre next to the battlefield gave us a very impressive account of the events leading to the build up to the battle and then, by using modern video technology, we experienced what it must have been like to be involved in the bloody chaos of that wet, windy and sleet-swept morning that changed the course of Scottish history.
From there we travelled a short distance in terms of miles but a giant leap back in time to the Neolithic burial chambers of Clava Cairns. These three 4,000 year-old stone mounds sit silently and enigmatically as testament to a people long gone but a people of obvious technical skill and ability. The sun shone softly through the overhanging beech trees as we walked carefully among the huge stone circular burial chambers and tried to imagine what the religious beliefs of their builders were and what inspired the construction of such massive monuments still to be found spread across Europe.
Then another short coach ride brought us back to the present and back to the ship where, during lunch, we set sail along the Caledonian Canal towards Loch Ness. Our cruise proper began. The crossing of the elongated Loch Ness was noisy and bumpy thanks to the strong westerly winds into which we were sailing directly. However we arrived safely at our mooring for the night, Fort Augustus, late in the afternoon but with enough time to disembark, enjoy the Caledonian Canal Museum and have a look round this quaint Highland town.
Tomorrow we will have time to explore the area further and discover more of the Highland flora and fauna, learn more of the history and hopefully stay dry in the process! There is a lot yet to come on our journey through the Heart of the Highlands.
